There isn’t much between here and the city where UVA resides. I personally love the city of Charlottesville and have gone there quite frequently. I almost stopped through there today and then to see it all over the news again. The fact that there are still anti-Semitic and racist people in this country, quite honestly blows my mind. It blows my mind because I can’t fathom thinking that someone is less than me because of their race, religion, or background. And yet, there are still people who think like that.

No one is less than another based on their race, gender, background, religion, etc. We are all created in the Lord’s image and are descendants of Adam and Eve. Jesus loves all of us. Why can we not accept this?

I honestly watched several documentaries over the last few days about what happened with the Nazis and their targets during World War II. Then I quite honestly watched a documentary called the “The Last White Knight.” I had no idea that there was a rally planned this morning or that there was a march, designed to intimidate last night on UVA’s campus. My heart was breaking to watch these documentaries and then to see it playing out in real time, in my home’s backyard. Oy….my heart breaks for my community.

My heart is scared of what road this could lead to. We cannot be okay as a society and humanity as a whole, when this is going on. Maybe because it’s not happening close to you, you can disconnect from it. That’s a problem…quite honestly, that’s what happened with Hitler and the Nazis. People were too scared to say anything and stayed quiet, for too long. I don’t want the past to be repeated. I had more hope for humanity. This is not the legacy that I want to leave.

For too long, too many of us have been silent. We think it doesn’t impact us. But it does. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin Luther King Jr. Whether it is our community or not, it impacts us.

The response by the man in the White House, quite literally makes my blood boil. He is so ignorant. And he chooses to be that way. This is what infuriates me more. Thankfully this helps to fuel me. Education is a powerful weapon and one that I intend to use moving forward.

Please remember Nelson Mandela’s quote:

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

Do something. Speak up. Use the platform that you have been given. Advocate for truth and justice.

My heart is heavy about many things at the moment and I don’t know where to begin. If I’m honest, I’ve been perpetually in this mindset for a while. It’s just that life happens and I get distracted. But my heart is often bombarded with overwhelming waves of passion and conviction. And I don’t always know how to channel it. I don’t know what I can do to fix the things that are troubling me and right these wrongs.

They are things that are much bigger than just me. They are things that are bigger than my community and the people that I interact with on a daily basis. And yet, I think that it has to start there. It has to be a movement and a change that happens in each town and community. It needs to start small and spread. It’s not something we can rely on a government to mandate or command. We have to make the choice.

We have to choose to be different, to act different. WE have to choose to look at others with the love of Christ. We have to see beyond our fleshly selves and our own selfishness. WE have to truly converse with and listen to one another. WE need to be willing to interact with those who are different than us. WE cannot be comfortable with only being around those who think, act, look, and talk like us. WE are each uniquely different and each have a lot to teach one another. Yet WE don’t take the time.

WE make excuses and push it off. But what is that leaving the next generation? Doesn’t that defeat the progress we have made? Doesn’t it prevent further progress from being made. I don’t want to live in that world.

My heart is sad and heavy. There is a change that needs to happen and I want to make a difference with those around me. I want more than to type and say something. I want to have an impact and make those around me feel valued, loved, and appreciated. I want us all to know that we matter and have a voice. There’s a lot of things I want and hope for. I guess I need to just start with me and hope that it spreads to others.

I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot recently and I have to say something. It’s a topic that is continually being brought up right now. And rightfully so. What I have become aware of is that this progress that we supposedly have made has not happened as much as we believe, especially as much as white America says it has. I’m honestly scared for my country and fellow man.

It breaks my heart that we can still sit here in the year 2016 and judge someone based on the color of their skin. For what? Just because someone looks differently than you doesn’t give you a right to judge them. You wouldn’t want to be judged based on that sole factor alone. So why does it happen in our society every day? We are naive to say it doesn’t. It happens subtly and not so subtly. It breaks my heart and I want to be someone who stands up and says so.

Believe me I plan on doing more than just write this blog. I know that this requires more than one tiny little blog post. I intend to do more but I felt like I needed to write this out here as well.

I want to help bring about change. I want to be part of a conversation. I don’t want to sit idly by and allow this to continue to happen to people. I want to make a difference. I want to stand up for what is right.

So we have different skin tones. Cool. We are each beautiful and uniquely made in the image of God. I am ashamed that some of my white brothers and sisters see others as less than them. I wish that we all had eyes to see one anther the way that Christ sees us. I am sure his heart breaks over this daily. It should break all our hearts.

What saddens me more is that it happens in churches and among Christians. How is this possible? How is that loving as Christ did and doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. If we love God, we should love his image bearers.

This blows my mind the most, as we are not to be like the world. We can’t keep pretending that it’s not an issue. It is a very real issue and I want to make a difference and make a change.

How are we expect anyone to want to come to Christ if we treat our fellow man this way? You can’t treat someone differently just because they look differently than you.

If you see an injustice happen, speak up and out. Don’t sit there quietly and do nothing. It’s just as bad to allow the injustice to continue. Get to know people for who they are and don’t make prejudicial and racist assumptions.

God made each and every single one of us. We are all made in the image of God. Not one of us is any better than anyone else. God has called us to love one another and as Christians, we need to stand up for our fellow man and especially our fellow believers. We should not allow this to continue at all.

I hope and pray that we can all make a difference together and come together as humans. I am going to do everything in my power to stand up and speak out against injustice. I hope that you will too.